Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-06-24

FRANK Muller watched his retreating form
with smile Of peculiar malignity on his
handsome face. "Ah, my friend )" he said to
himself in Dutch, "you and that warrant will
part company before you are many hours
older Why, it would be enough TO hang me,
even in this happy land of patriots. Old -
would not forgive even me for taking that
little liberty with his name. Dear me, what
a lot Of trouble one has to take to be rid of a
single cnemyi We'll, it must be done, and
Bessie is well worth it; but if it had not been
for this war / could never have managed it.
Ali did well to give my voice for war.
am sorry FOR tho girl jess, but it must be;
there must be no living witness left. Ali we
are going to have storm. So much tho bet
ter. Such deeds are best done in Storm
Muller was right; the storm was coming
up fast, throwing o vail of inky cloud across
the star spangled sky. In South Africa there
is but little twilight and the darkness follows
hard upon the heels of the day. No sooner
had the great angry ball Of the sun finally
disappeared than the night swept with all her
stars across the sky. And now after her came
the great storm, covering up her beauty with
his blackness. The air was stflingly hot.
Above was a starry space; to the east the
angry bosom of the storm, in which the
lightnings were already playing with an in
cessant Pickering movement and TO the west
a deep red glow, reflected from the sunken
sun, yet fingered on the horizon.
On toiled the horses through the gathering
gloom. Fortunately the road was fairly
level and free from mudholes, and Frank
Muller rode just ahead to show the way, his
strong, manly form standing out clear against
the departing western glow.
1t was an awful night. Great pillars of
mud colored sky came creeping across the
surface of the vedt toward them, seemingly
blown along without a wind And now, too
u CHASTITY looking ringed moon arose and
threw weird, distorted light upon the black
ness that seemed to shudder in her rays, as
though with prescience of the advancing
terror. On crept the mud colored columns,
and on above them, and resting on them,
came the muttering storm. The cart was
quite close to the river now, and they could
plainly hear its murmur To their left was q
koppic, covered with white, slablile stones,
on which the sickly moonbeams danced.
"Look, John, lookl' cried Jess with q
hysterical laugh; at looks like huge grave
yard, and the dark shadows between are the
ghosts Of the buried"
"Nonsense," said John, sternly; "what do
you mean by talking such rubbish!'
He felt that she was little off her balance,
and, what is more, he was getting rather Off
his own, and therefore was naturally the
angrier with her, and the moro determined
to be perfectly matter of fact
Jess made no answer, but she was frightened,
she could not tell why. The whole thing re-
sembled some awful dream or one of Dores
pictures come to life. No doubt, also, the
near presence of the storm exercised an effect
upon her nerves. Even the wearied horses
snorted and shook themselves uneasily.
They crept over the ridge Of wave of
land, and the wheels rolled softly on the
grass
"Why. we are off the road!" shouted John
to Muller, who was still guiding them, fifteen
or twenty PAGES ahead.
"All right! all right! it is a short cut to the
ford!' he called in answer, and his voice rang
strange and hollow through the great depths
of the silence.
Below them, a hundred yards away, the
light, such as it was, CLEANED family upon
the wide surface of the river. Another five
minutes and they were on its shore, but in
Curse you, give 1t to me!' sad Muller, be-
tween his teeth.
"No, Frank Muller, no." answered the Viii
derbecste, patting his pocket. while the two
,yrinI,lod Il' i, 1ni,.,. ,i'' t,o4 ' us il0ao
tn -, l. H.. i.,'.1 g. 0"i"s W
w o'' ''S ns' "aS even more curious
.''i ,'9u''i' u W "iSi W nave 'i,e warrant
Sou ''i"il nav n' ouO 'nen we SnoIl upsaudie
airi ~ anu you oai 10 your numbering
"e'e' 'ueie' 'aNc your cho'ce' we
ana', nc hi''' 1houSn " eeI noi'e' lor we 40
NOV NM tne 700. II ~ ouD siloo''iie IKE
~ S''oo, ",toM vi N'lliI' hot VINE PcoPie
ram ~ ''''e. ici'cctt'i fii'''le'V ana theh
Nc neu i'tie LOU are luily people,
you nome pieu noerS' ne Sa'u' ouo perhaps
you are iIsn'. AiteI AL "iiaV doe' II matter
VINO i,as 'no Warian'' ProNIueu 'he tnihg Is
"eI, uoiie' MINI 'nere Is no pui9lliig' 'hau
% an
an yam salu 'ne iaC laccu man. you
can 'iu9o US ioi 'hal' III won he llle ilrSU
tinc 'na' we nave toppiea over ii nave
my Warrant = ASK no'nliiS pettei IMAM 10 go
oii shoo'ihS ElSHShllieh all hlSh'' one down,
.he o'ner come on hiio" no pret'ier sisht
'n'i an I'7'ISiiil'ah topping over
otoP 'llnt TAX ana saddle up the cart Is
waiting GU looiS can never understand the
uiierei'ce peV"eeh hillihg when IL Is heces-